Hypodermic syringe



NOV 3, 1964 H. G. ENsTRM ETAL 3,155,093

HYPODERMIC SYRINGE Filed March 5, 1962 INVENTORS. HANS GOSTA ENSTROMI HANS-WOLFGANG BARNIESKE 8| ROLF KARL ERIK BARKMAN fh eir ATTO RNE YS.

United States Patent O 3,155,093 HYPDERMIC SYRINGE Hans Gsta Enstrm, Ostertalje, Hans-Wolfgang Barnieske, Sodertalje, and Rolf Karl Erik Barkman, Stockholm, Sweden, assignors to Aktiebolaget Astra, Apotekarnes Kerniska Fabriker, Scdertalje, Sweden, a company of Sweden Filed Mar. 5, 1962, Ser. No. 177,362 Claims priority, application Sweden Mar. 9, 1961 Claims. (Cl. 12S-218) This invention is concerned with a hypodermic syringe for ampoules equipped with needles. One purpose of the invention is to produce a hypodermic syringe into which a unit consisting of an ampoule and an injection needle can be inserted quickly and simply without risk to the sterility. One special purpose of the invention is to produce a hypodermic syringe in which the ampoule-needle unit can be introduced without the injection needle coming into contact with the injection iluid in the ampoule, that is, so that the needle only comes into contact with the injection lluid immediately prior to the injection being carried out.

The hypodermic syringe according to the invention consists of the combination comprising a syringe body having an open front end arranged to receive and hold an ampoule-needle unit, a stem arranged movably in the rear end of the syringe body to engage with the ampoule to press out the injection liquid from the ampoule, and an ampoule-needle unit comprising an ampoule body, a needle-holder and an injection needle secured in said needle holder, said injection needle having its rear end arranged to pierce tne front wall of the ampoule, said needle-holder being arranged to be movable relatively to the ampoule body from a rst, inoperative position to a second, operative position in which said rear end Of the needle has pierced the front wall of the ampoule body.

The invention will be described below by reference to the enclosed drawing. FIG. 1 shows a rst embodiment of a syringe body, and FIG. 2 shows an ampoule-needle unit to be used in combination with the syringe body of FIG. l. FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of a syringe body. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view along line IV-IV in FIG. 3. FIG. 5 shows an ampoule-needle unit to be used in combination with the syringe body of FIG. 3.

The syringe body shown in FIG. l consists of a cylinder 1, having an open front end 2 and having also big openings in its side walls. The rear end of the syringe body is equipped with a stem or piston rod 4 that can be moved in the syringe body 1. The piston rod 4 is equipped in a known way with a thumb support 5 and a piston or flange 6 which is designed to be pressed against the upper part of the ampoule 11 shown in FIG. 2. The piston or ange 6 contains a groove 3 which is arranged to engage with a protruding portion 12 of the ampoule 11. The rear end of the syringe body 1 is equipped in a known way with finger grips 7, 8. Inside the open front end of the syringe body and some distance from the bottom edge there is a groove 9 in which a circular spring is arranged. The ampoule 11 consists of a pleated bellows of a resilient material such as laminated plastic which is joined to an end-piece 13, which has a peripheral groove 14. The end-piece 13 is movably joined to a needle holder 15, that is, by means of a iiange 1S which engages in a groove 19 in the needle holder. If the needle holder is pressed against the end-piece the llange 18 releases the groove 19 and the rear end of the needle 17 pierces the thin wall 20 that separates the ampoule from the injection needle. The needle 17 is surrounded by a detachable needle shield 16, which is mounted on the front end of the needle-holder 15.

To charge the syringe, the ampoule unit according to FIG. 2 is inserted in the syringe body through the open front end until the spring 10 engages in the groove 14, thus securing Ithe ampoule. In order to bring the needle into contact with the interior of the ampoule the operator seizes the needle shield 16 and presses the needle-holder towards the ampoule, by which the rear end of the needle pierces the thin wall 20 of the end-piece. This operation can be made either before or after the insertion of the ampoule in the syringe. After the removal of the needle-shield the hypodermic syringe is ready for use under completely sterile conditions.

The composition of the plastic material in the ampoule shown in FIG. 2 is such that the ampoule is self-aspirating, which means that the syringe need not be provided with any particular aspirating means.

The syringe body illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 comprises an open cylindrical body 21 having in its front end 22 a wall or plate 26 which is provided with a U- shaped recessed portion 27. This recessed portion 27 is arranged to receive an ampoule-needle unit, which can consequently be introduced into the syringe body from the side, viz. through the big opening formed in the side wall of the syringe body. At some distance from the end wall 26 there is a plug 28 which is arranged to engage in a groove 33 in the ampoule, thus forming a bayonettype lock to secure the ampoule-needle unit in the syringe body.

The ampoule-needle unit shown in FIG. 5 comprises an ampoule 36 of the so-called cartridge-type. The ampoule consists of a cylinder the upper end of which is sealed by a piston or stopper 29, preferably of rubber, which can be moved in the ampoule and is pressed down in the direction of the needle by the stem or piston rod 23 when the ampoule is to be emptied. The stern is equipped in a known way with two claw-like screwshaped bent needles 25 which are arranged diametrically opposite to each other and can be screwed into the stopper 29 through the twisting of the stem. Consequently, the operator can draw back the stopper in the ampoule for suction purposes, that is when an aspiration is desired. The needle holder 30 is provided with a peripheral groove arranged to engage loosely with a flange 34 on the ampoule. Consequently the needle holder 30 is movable in relation to the ampoule 36 in the same way as in the case of the ampoule according to FIG. 2. When the needle holder is pressed towards the ampoule, the rear end of the needle 31 pierces the thin front wall 35 of the ampoule. The needle 31 is protected by a needle shield 32.

What is claimed is:

l. In a hypodermic syringe the combination comprising a syringe body having an open front end capable of receiving therethrough and holding an ampoule-needle unit; an undetachable stem arranged movably in the rear end of the syringe body and protruding therefrom to engage with an ampoule body to press out the injection liquid from the ampoule body; and an ampoule-needle unit cooperating with the syringe body comprising an ampoule body, a needle-holder operably associated with the ampoule body to form a unitary device and an injection needle secured in said needle-holder and protruding from the syringe body; a piston closing the rear end of the ampoule body, said stem having its front end provided with means to grip said piston for movement in forward and4 rearward direction, said injection needle having its rear end arranged to pierce the front Wall of the ampoule body; means for detachably securing said ampoule body in the 'open front end of said syringe body; and means for engaging loosely said needle-holder with said secured ampoule body whereby the needle-holder'is movable relatively to the ampoule body from a rst, inoperative position to a second, operative position in which said rear 3 end of the needle has pierced the front wall of the ampoule body.

2. A hypodermic syringe as claimed in claim 1 coniprising a shield to enclose and protect the injection needle, said shield being detachably mounted on the needleholder.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Hickey Dec. 8, 1953 Ashkenaz Apr. 1, 1958 Stroop Nov. 11, 1958 Miskel et al Dec. 23, 1958 Blackman Feb. 24, 1959 Sarnoi Oct. 18, 1960 Lipsky et al. Mar. 6, 1962 Miskel et al. Mar. 27, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS Denmark Jan. 28, 1924 Great Britain Jan. 15, 1958 

1. IN A HYPODERMIC SYRINGE THE COMBINATION COMPRISING A SYRINGE BODY HAVING AN OPEN FRONT END CAPABLE OF RECEIVING THERETHROUGH AND HOLDING AN AMPOULE-NEEDLE UNIT; AN UNDETACHABLE STEM ARRANGED MOVABLY IN THE REAR END OF THE SYRINGE BODY AND PROTRUDING THEREFROM TO ENGAGE WITH AN AMPOULE BODY TO PRESS OUT THE INJECTION LIQUID FROM THE AMPOULE BODY; AND AN AMPOULE-NEEDLE UNIT COOPERATING WITH THE SYRINGE BODY COMPRISING AN AMPOULE BODY, A NEEDLE-HOLDER OPERABLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE AMPOULE BODY TO FORM A UNITARY DEVICE AND AN INJECTION NEEDLE SECURED IN SAID NEEDLE-HOLDER AND PROTRUDING FROM THE SYRINGE BODY; A PISTON CLOSING THE REAR END OF THE AMPOULE BODY, SAID STEM HAVING ITS FRONT END PROVIDED WITH MEANS TO GRIP SAID PISTON FOR MOVEMENT IN FORWARD AND REARWARD DIRECTION, SAID INJECTION NEEDLE HAVING ITS REAR END ARRANGED TO PIERCE THE FRONT WALL OF THE AMPOULE BODY; MEANS FOR DETACHABLY SECURING SAID AMPOULE BODY IN THE OPEN FRONT END OF SAID SYRINGE BODY; AND MEANS FOR ENGAGING LOOSELY SAID NEEDLE-HOLDER WITH SAID SECURED AMPOULE BODY WHEREBY THE NEEDLE-HOLDER IS MOVABLE RELATIVELY TO THE AMPOULE BODY FROM A FIRST, INOPERATIVE POSITION TO A SECOND, OPERATIVE POSITION IN WHICH SAID REAR END OF THE NEEDLE HAS PIERCED THE FRONT WALL OF THE AMPOULE BODY. 